RM column May 31 - Don't Panic

This is from this week's column and I just thought no better time to publish it here than today because exams have started and also considering the amount of junior and leaving certificate search queries hitting here. So good luck to all our Junior and Leaving Cert students, remember don't panic and worse things have happened at sea.

Oh and for tips and all sorts check out Skoool.ie, Leaving Cert stuff is already on the front page while the Junior Cert tips are here.

Don't panic

Darling, by the time you read this your exams will have started. They are the first of many exams you will sit over your life. And each time you have exams you will think they are the most important thing in the world. At this time, they kinda are but in the bigger scheme of things, they aren't really at all.

For now though the Junior Cert is your first big academic milestone, well if you don't count starting school in the first place or indeed secondary school. As big as those moments are, the first time you walk into the exam hall and see the evenly spaced tables and chairs, the vigilators, and feel the tense and nervous atmosphere you wont forget it.

Getting you to study has been hard and stressful on both of us and about a month ago I came to the complete realisation that nothing I said or did would get you to study in reality. I could shout, roar but at the end of the day unless it comes from you it won't happen.

Instead of panicking I have chilled out a bit and you appear to be studying and I say appear because we all know that you could be sitting there with all the books in front of you, making what looks like notes, flipping the pages of a text book and in your head you are singing 'Smells like Teen Spirit'.

Time will tell on that.

Besides I am constantly being reassured by people that the Junior Cert is more about scaring the hell out of students in time for them to knuckle down for their Leaving Cert. I don't know if that's true not having been through the education system here. But I know we will both be disappointed and devastated if your marks do not reflect your ability.

However at the end of the day once these exams are over, they are over, nothing to do until the results come in. And once you start the Leaving Cert course, the Junior Cert ceases to matter really. That's the way of exams once you do others above the last ones you have, the previous ones are pretty much defunct.

The main thing to remember over the next weeks is don't panic. Even the worst case scenario isn't the worst thing in the world. As I was told myself as a child, worse things happen at sea. Exams can always be resat, disappointment can always be overcome. Stress on the other hand can make you sick. So forget worrying just get your head down and do your best, that's all any parent wants their kids to do, their best. I couldn't ask for more.

This is not only to my darling, the Young Wan but it is also for all those who might read this column who are about to sit or have sat exams.

Remember don't panic, don't worry, do your best and worse things happen at sea.